What is the most important question to ask a letting agent?

Ask for the total cost across a typical year, not just the management percentage. Include set-up, inventory, renewal and maintenance charges, plus VAT. A written twelve-month quote lets you compare agents on identical assumptions and shows who is genuinely cheapest once every charge is counted.

How do I check a letting agent is legitimate?

Ask for their Client Money Protection certificate, the name of their redress scheme and their deposit protection arrangements, then verify each with the scheme directly. Membership of a professional body such as Propertymark is a useful extra signal, though it does not replace those legal and financial protections.

Should I get quotes from more than one letting agent?

Yes, aim for at least three. Give each the same property details and ask for the same written fee schedule. Differences in fees, services and tenant vetting become obvious side by side, and you gain leverage to negotiate management fees or drop unnecessary extras.

Can I leave a letting agent if I am unhappy?

Usually, but the contract decides how easily. Check the minimum term, notice period and any termination or tenant introduction fees before signing. If you already have an agent, read your terms of business carefully and give notice in writing exactly as the contract requires.

Do I need a fully managed service?

Not always. Fully managed suits landlords who live far away, own several properties or want repairs and compliance handled for them. Tenant-find or rent collection can be cheaper if you are happy to manage maintenance yourself. Compare the exact inclusions rather than the label.

Questions to Ask a Letting Agent Before Signing (2026 Checklist)

13 October 2026 · AgentCheck Editorial · 8 min read

Part of our UK Landlord Legal Guide

Before signing with a letting agent, ask what they charge in total, who holds your money, how they find and vet tenants, who is accountable when things go wrong, and how you can leave. Get every answer in writing, and compare at least three agents on identical terms before you commit.

Choosing a letting agent is a business decision, not a favour you are asking. The agent will handle your rent, your tenants and your legal exposure, so the terms of business matter far more than the shop window or the friendly valuation visit. The questions below are the ones that separate agents who are transparent from those who rely on landlords not asking.

AgentCheck currently lists 14,354 letting agents across 774 areas, so you will rarely be short of choice. That is good news, because it means you can walk away from vague answers. Use this guide as a script for every call or meeting, and note the answers side by side.

1. Ask about fees first, and ask for the total

Headline percentages rarely tell the whole story. A management fee of 10% can look cheap until the set-up fee, inventory charge, renewal fee and maintenance markup arrive. Ask for a complete schedule of charges and ask the agent to price a typical year for your property.

What is the monthly management fee, and is it quoted including or excluding VAT?
What is the tenant-find or set-up fee, and when is it payable?
Are there charges for inventories, check-ins, check-outs or inspections?
Is there a fee for tenancy renewals, rent reviews or serving notices?
Do you add a margin to contractor invoices, or charge a fee for arranging repairs?
What happens to fees if the tenant leaves early or I sell?

Our full breakdown is in the letting agent fees guide. The principle is simple: if an agent cannot give you a one-page fee schedule, treat that as an answer in itself.

It also helps to ask for the agent's fees in the same format as the competition. Give each agent the same property details and ask for a written quote covering the first twelve months, including void periods. Comparing three quotes on identical assumptions will show you quickly who is cheap on paper and who is cheap in practice.

Landlord reviewing a letting agent contract and terms of business at a desk — Photo: Unsplash

2. Ask which service level you are actually buying

Agents often use the same words for different services. "Fully managed" at one firm may include rent collection, inspections and out-of-hours repairs, while another treats those as extras. Ask the agent to list exactly what is included, then compare against the table below.

Service level	Usually includes	Ask specifically
Tenant-find (let only)	Marketing, viewings, referencing, tenancy agreement	Who protects the deposit, and who handles move-in?
Rent collection	Tenant-find plus collecting and passing on rent	How fast is rent paid out, and how are arrears chased?
Fully managed	Rent collection plus repairs, inspections, compliance reminders	How many inspections a year, and is there an out-of-hours line?

If you are unsure which suits you, read fully managed vs let-only before you start taking quotes.

3. Ask who holds your money, and how it is protected

Letting agents who hold client money must be covered by a Client Money Protection scheme. Ask for the name of the scheme and a copy of the certificate, rather than accepting a logo on a website. Then ask the practical questions that follow from it.

Is client money held in a separate client account, and with which bank?
How many days after the tenant pays is rent sent to me?
Which deposit scheme do you use, and is the deposit held by the scheme or by you?
Who is your redress scheme, and can I see your complaints procedure?

Agents must also belong to a government-approved redress scheme. An agent who hesitates on any of these is not one to trust with a month of your rent.

4. Ask how they find and vet tenants

Tenant quality drives your yield more than almost anything else, because a bad tenancy costs months of rent and legal time. Ask about the process rather than the promise.

Find out whether referencing is done in house or by a third party, what is checked (identity, right to rent, employment, previous landlord, credit history), and what the agent does when a reference comes back borderline. Ask how long a typical property takes to let in your area, and what the average void period has been over the past year. Our tenant vetting checklist shows what a thorough process looks like.

Letting agent and landlord discussing a rental property in an office meeting — Photo: Unsplash

5. Ask how they handle repairs and compliance

Day to day, most disputes between landlords and agents come down to maintenance. Ask who authorises repairs, what spending limit applies before they call you, and whether you can use your own contractors. Ask whether the agent takes commission on contractor work, because that creates an incentive to recommend more of it.

Then test their compliance knowledge. A good agent should be able to explain gas safety and electrical checks, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, EPC requirements, deposit rules and right to rent checks without reaching for a leaflet. Ask whether they track expiry dates and remind you in advance, or whether that stays your job. The landlord legal requirements guide lists what you should expect them to know.

It is worth asking for evidence, not reassurance. A confident agent will happily show you anonymised examples of how a repair was handled, a sample inspection report, or a real landlord statement. If they only offer general promises, assume the process is less structured than they suggest.

6. Ask about communication and who looks after you

Many landlords leave an agent over poor communication rather than poor results. Ask who your named contact will be, how quickly they reply, and how often you will get statements. Ask what happens when that person is on holiday or leaves the firm.

Do I get an online portal, and can I see statements and documents there?
How many properties does each property manager look after?
Will you tell me before a tenant gives notice, or only after?
Can I see reviews from current landlords, not only tenants?

Finally, ask how the agent reports on performance. Useful measures include average days to let, rent achieved against the asking figure, arrears levels across their managed portfolio, and how many landlords stay with them year to year. An agent who tracks these numbers can answer quickly, while one who does not will often change the subject.

7. Ask how you can leave

The exit terms are where many landlords get caught. Ask for the contract length, the notice period, and any fee for ending the agreement. Check whether you will be charged if you sell the property or move to another agent, and whether the agent claims a fee for tenants they introduced even after you leave.

Pay particular attention to minimum terms and automatic renewals. If you are already unhappy with an agent, our guide on how to switch letting agent explains the practical steps, and what to do about a bad letting agent covers complaints.

8. Red flags to watch for during the conversation

How an agent answers can matter as much as what they say. These are the signs that should slow you down:

Unusually high rent estimates designed to win your instruction, followed by price drops weeks later.
Pressure to sign on the day of the valuation visit.
No written terms of business until after you agree verbally.
Vague answers on client money, redress or deposit protection.
Fees that are "to be confirmed" or buried in small print.

Treat the meeting as the first test of the working relationship you are about to buy. Take away the paperwork, read it at home, and compare it with at least two other agents. For the wider decision process, start with our complete guide to choosing a letting agent.

Related guides

Compare letting agents in your area

Put your questions to the test by comparing real agents side by side. Browse letting agents in London, Manchester or Birmingham, search the full letting agents directory, use our compare letting agents tool, or answer a few questions in the agent matching questionnaire.

Compare local letting agents on AgentCheck

Free for landlords. No paid placements. Verified Google reviews you can independently confirm.

Start comparing →